Engine-starter



c. BERGMANN, 1n.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLlcAnon FILED MAR. a. Isls.

Patented Feb. 10, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

CARL BERGMANN, JR., OF WEST HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 ECLIPSE MACHINE COMPANY, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

ENGINE-STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Feb. 1o, i920.

Application filed March 3, 1919. Serial No. 280,296.

To-aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL BERGMANN, J r., a .citizen of the United States, residing at lVest Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Starters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a starter for an engine, more particularly an internal combustion engine, and the object thereof is to provide a simple and eliicient device of this nature and having the general characteristics of the starter shown in my Patent No. 1,25%,19G, issued to me on January 22, 1918. My invention concerns more particularly the drive or transmission of an engine starting system and the embodiment thereof as herein shown is characterized by a rotatable shaft (either power or hand driven), provided with preferably a plurality of coiled springs on which are mounted the driving member, (such as a pinion), adapted to automatically' travel or advance in a direction longitudinally of the shaftl to engage a rotatable engine member (such as the toothed fly-wheel), and to thereupon rotate with such shaft to rotate the fly-Wheel and thereby start the engine. Besides being the means whereby the driving member is so advanced into engagement with the engine member, the spring serves as a yielding driving connection in the starting of such engine member, and the subsequent rotation thereof, and also as a cushioning means in case of abutting of the pinion teeth and fly-wheel teeth end to end.

In the drawing, Figure 1, is an elevation ofl a starter embodying my invention. L Fig. 2, an end elevation of thepinion.

Fig. 3, an elevation of a modiiedform illustrating the use of a plurality of springs.

Fig. 4, an end elevation of the pinion of such modified form of construction, and

Figs. 5, and 6, elevations of two other modied forms of construction.

head 4, o f the sleeve and through the shaft. Y

Upon this sleeve is mounted a coiled spring 5, with one end 5a, fastened thereto, and its other end free and normally functionless. This spring, which encircles the sleeve and which is here shown extending nearly the entire length of the sleeve in the space between the head and nut, acts-as a thread for the driving member. The free end of the spring has a return bend forming a clutch jaw 5b, for a purpose hereinafter explained.

'Thev driving member is here in the form ofapinion 6, adapted, when advanced longitudinally along the shaft, to mesh with the teeth of an engine member which is here the fly-wheel 7. This pinion normally occupies a position intermediate the length of the spring, with the ends of the latter eX- tending beyond both ends of such pinion, and is adapted to move to the left along the spring, whereupon, a clutch jaw 6", formed on such pinion will be engaged by the jaw 5b, of the spring.

Describing a cycle of operation, the armature shaft in its rotation rotates the sleeve and the spring, with the result that the pinion is automatically "advanced to the left into mesh with the fly-wheel; In this movement, the pinion clutch-jaw will be engaged by the spring clutch-jaw, whereupon, the.

spring will act as a torsion driving spring, as the pinion now partakes of a rotary movement to rotate the fly-wheel. When the engine starts on its own power, the pinion'is automatically demeshed and returned to normal position.

In the event of the abutting of the teeth of the fly-wheel, and pinion end to end, the shock of contact Will be absorbed by the spring which will become compressed until the pinion is caused to rotate slightly to bring the teeth into proper register for meshing.

In Fig. 3, I have shown a modified form l in which a plurality (two) of springs 8, are

employed and consequently a plurality of spring clutches 8a, and a plurality of clutches 9a, on the pinion 9, (Fig. 4). This construction, with the clutches equidistantly placed, tends to keep the pinion centered on the sleeve, during the driving operation.

As may be desired, the spring may take all the torsion load of the pinion, as in the described constructions, or. only the initial torsion load, in which case, means may be provided to take the final load. Such modiilo f v ded form is shown in Fig. 5, in which a.

vsuch spring terminating without any bend. In this construction, the spring has a comc pression action in the driving operation instead of a torsional action as in the other forms.

The spring may be of any desired shape in `cross section, but I preferl to make 1t polygonal, such as the rectangular form shown. Obviously, the grooves in the bore of the pinionvwould be similarly shaped in' The relative groove widthV cross section. and spring diameter are such as to permit of theactions hereinbefore described.

The particular installation described is the inboard type of drive, With the pinion advancing inwardl toward the motor and Without any outer earing, but it is obvious that the outboard type may be readily produced by locating the motor at the opposite end of the drive, than here shown, and roviding a bearing at the outer end. oreover, it is obvious that the rotatable shaft instead of being a sleeve upon the extended armature shaft, maybe one and the same,- with such armature, or, in other words, the sleeve may be dispensed with, and the armature shaft utilized as the direct support for the spring and pinion. In such c'ase, the use of a smaller size of pinion is possible.

l. In an engine starter, the combination.

.mally disengaged therefrom, said driving member having its bore screw-threaded and directly threaded upon said spring.

2. In an engine starter, the combination with a rotatablemember of the engine to be started, a rotatable shaft arranged parallel to the axis of said'member, a coiled spring surrounding such shaftJ and secured at its inner end thereto, the outer end there' of lying within the plane of said rotatable member, said driving member being threaded upon the spring and adapted to traverse the same to the outer end thereof.

3. In an engine starter, the combination of a'rotatable shaft, a coiled spring vsurresonate rounding such shaft and secured thereto, and a pinion Whose bore is screwthreaded and directly' threaded upon said spring.

d. In an engine starter, the combination of a rotatable shaft, a coiled spring surrounding such shaft and secured at one end thereto, the other end being normally free, i

of a rotatable shaft, a coiled spring sur.

rounding such shaft'and secured at one end thereto, the other end being normally free, and a driving member adapted to engagea part of the engine to be started and threaded upon said spring, such member and spring having complementary clutch mem bers adapted to engage when the driving A member as engaged the engine part.

t 6. In an engine starter, the combination of a rotatable shaft, a coiled' spring sur rounding such shaft and secured at one end thereto, the other end being normally free, and a pinion adapted to mesh with a part of the engine'to be started and threaded upon said spring, such pinion having a clutch jaw and the spring having a complementary clutch jaw.

7. In 'an engine starter, the combination of a rotatable shaft, a coiled spring surrounding such shaft and secured at one end thereto, the other end being normally free, and a pinion adapted t'o mesh with a part of the engine to be started and threaded, upon said spring, such pinion having on one end a clutch jaw andthe free 'end of the spring having a return bend to form a complementary clutch jaw.

8. In an engine starter, the combination of a rotatable shaft, a plurality of coiled springs surrounding such shafts and secured thereto, at one of their ends, their other ends being normally free, and aI driving member mounted 'upon such springs for longitudinal movement therealong.

l 9. In an engine starter, the combination of a rotatable shaft, a plurality of coiled springs surrounding such shafts, and secured thereto at one of their ends, their other ends being normally free, and a driving membermounted upon such springs for longitudinal movement therealong, the free ends or the springs and the driving member having complementary clutch members.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at New York, New York, this 13th day of `February, 1919.

- CARL BERGMANN, JR.

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